While there’s no way to cure insomnia in 12 minutes, Stellar Sleep discusses what may cause sleep disturbance and how to get relief.
Are you having trouble sleeping or fed up with not waking up feeling as well rested as you should be? Although no “magic cure” exists for insomnia, there are ways to upgrade your sleep routine and get the most out of your rest.
Insomnia is the medical name for having trouble with your sleep — difficulty falling, staying, or getting quality sleep. It is one of the most common sleep disorders, impacting between 10 to 60% of the world population. Insomnia can be acute (short-term, occurring between a few days and a few weeks) or chronic (long-term).
There is no single cause for insomnia — it’s often a combination of physical components, psychological factors, and poor sleep habits.
Common causes of insomnia include:
Regardless of the causes of insomnia, the lack of quality sleep can have significant health repercussions. If you’re experiencing sleep problems, it’s best to make a plan to address them as soon as possible.
If you’ve landed here because you want to know how to get insomnia relief in 12 minutes, don’t get your timer out yet. Focusing on falling asleep in a specific time frame will only worsen insomnia symptoms.
However, there are ways to help create a more supportive bedtime routine and make the process easier. Insomnia treatment is mainly about recognition and symptom management. While sleeping pills may temporarily help, it’s best to address the root cause directly.
So, how can you get better sleep? It comes down to a few important components. Quality sleep isn’t out of reach for anyone with the correct information and support.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, you should start by ruling out or addressing any underlying health conditions that may be contributing. Certain medication conditions, like sleep apnea, blood pressure concerns, restless legs syndrome, and thyroid dysfunction, can all negatively impact your sleep.
A healthcare provider should manage these medical conditions, as many require medical intervention like a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.
After ruling out or addressing underlying health conditions, the next step is considering psychological factors. Take our free sleep quiz to identify anything that may be impacting your sleep, and consider working with a CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) coach to create a customized plan to address them.
Stress can impact more than just your sleep, both short-term and long-term. Finding a way to manage stress — deep breathing techniques, mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation — is crucial for optimal physical and mental health.
Over time, chronic stress can lower your immune system, trigger higher stress hormone levels in the body, and contribute to developing or worsening certain health conditions.
Lifestyle changes can also play a role in how well you sleep. Making healthy lifestyle changes can help support sleep quality in various ways, but only when combined with addressing the psychological and physiological factors.
Try adding more physical activity to your routine, as workouts are excellent for your physical and emotional well-being. Just be sure to schedule your workouts at least two hours before bedtime, as exercise can release endorphins and increase energy — in other words, exercising too close to bedtime may keep you up at night. You can also practice breathing exercises or relaxation techniques before bedtime to enhance your sleep quality.
It’s also important to maintain a healthy diet. Eating clean, nutritious foods can help prevent health issues and assist in getting regular sleep. A diet full of caffeine, processed food, and sugar, on the other hand, can negatively impact your sleep patterns.
Finally, use naps appropriately. Napping isn’t inherently bad, but it can impact your ability to get a good night’s sleep if you end up falling into a deep sleep mid-day for too long. Try to keep your naps to 20 minutes or less.
The physical environment you sleep in significantly impacts your sleep, too. Sleep disturbances related to environmental noise can even be a potential threat to your health, especially if those disturbances escalate to chronic insomnia.
The goal is to create a supportive sleep environment where you don’t wake up in the middle of the night and can get at least seven quality hours of sleep. Factors to pay attention to in your sleeping environment include the room temperature (not too hot or cold), mattress comfort, darkness level, blue light exposure from electronic devices, and ambient noise.
As with most new habits, setting and sticking with a routine is key. Consistency is the only way to form lasting habits, it’s important to design a sleep schedule that works for you.
When your routine gets thrown off, like if you’re traveling or dealing with a shift work schedules, you’re more likely to experience some short-term insomnia. Although jet lag and disruptions to your circadian rhythm (your natural sleep/wake cycle) can’t be avoided in those situations, getting back to your routine as soon as possible can help you minimize the side effects.
While you can’t get rid of insomnia in 12 minutes, you can upgrade your sleep hygiene in ways that can improve both the quality and quantity of your rest. Addressing underlying health conditions, considering psychological factors, making lifestyle changes, revamping your sleeping environment, and sticking to a routine are all excellent places to start.
Take our free sleep quiz to start your healthy sleep journey.
Sources:
What Is Insomnia? | NHLBI, NIH
The assessment and management of insomnia: an update | PMC
Sleep is essential to health | American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Environmental noise and sleep disturbances: A threat to health? | PMC
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